Friday, January 21, 2011

Homework!

For those of you who live in warmer climates or well away from any mountain parks, yet still who have never strapped on snowshoes or skis or winter hiking boots, I would like to share some insight into what kind of homework we do every single time before we even consider venturing out for fun-filled adventures.

We check the weather forecast for the day for the area where we will be so we know how to dress and what additional clothing we may need for changing conditions. The weather forecast is important too because if a change is forecast to take place throughout the day then that means the avalanche conditions will change too.

We check the backcountry avalanche report for the specific park the evening before because that is when they post the ratings for the following day. From this report, we make a judgement on where it is safe to go, yet still once we are out there we continue to assess the conditions as we snowshoe along and remain aware of our surroundings.

Once we know we have a decent weather forecast and find an area that is safe to play in, we check road conditions to make sure the road is passable, there are no closures and if there are any black ice reports on our route.

A phone call to the Information Center takes place as does checking out their website to find out about trail conditions. This takes place a day or two in advance and also may include a drop in visit on route to our trailhead for any up to the minute changes.

In addition to all this investigative prep work and confirming we are good to go, we still go prepared for anything! This means going out with a pack that contains all the essentials for example extra cloths, extra food, extra fluids, headlamps, first aid kid, survival kit, maps etc and etc means whatever additional equipment you feel is necessary to bring.